Stroll
by hmweasley
Summary: While on a walk, Shikamaru makes a comment that leaves Temari furious.


The sunset reflected off the river, making the water look like liquid copper. Temari was captivated by it. She had years under her belt as Suna's ambassador to Konoha, but she'd never gotten used to how much water there was in the Land of Fire. Growing up, Temari hadn't cared about Suna's lack of water because it was all she knew, but Konoha had changed that. Suna was home, but Konoha was unlike anywhere else in the world.

Her hand hung at her side as she walked, occasionally brushing against Shikamaru's. Despite their relationship progressing, neither of them moved to hold the other's. Temari hadn't been able to shake her aversion to public displays of affection, and she didn't think she'd ever be comfortable with it. Still, she enjoyed his presence beside her as they walked, even when they weren't speaking. The next day, she was due to return to Suna, which meant it would be several weeks before they saw each other again. Such trips were always bittersweet for her, whether she was coming or going.

"Have you packed?" Shikamaru asked, breaking the silence.

Temari turned to him, but he didn't his eyes focused on the path, and he didn't glance her way. He was fishing for topics of conversation but didn't want to reveal that he was upset about her leaving. She'd caught onto his coping mechanisms before they'd even declared themselves a couple.

"Of course," she said with a smirk. "I'm always prepared. There will be a lot to do when I get back to Suna. Though I'm not excited about the trip itself. You can only walk by the same trees so many times before they bore you."

"At least you'll be making it less often soon."

Temari froze, staring at Shikamaru as he took several more steps before realizing she wasn't beside him any longer. He turned to look at her with one eyebrow raised.

"What?" he asked. His voice quivered at the possibility that he'd incurred her anger.

"What?" she echoed. "I should be asking that, not you. What do you mean by that?"

Shikamaru's brow furrowed. Reaching up, he tugged on his ponytail. He let out a nervous laugh.

"I just meant that you'll be making it less often once you're permanently living in Konoha. After our wedding, I mean."

Silence fell between them again. Temari stared at Shikamaru, and he stared back, though there was an increasing sense of unease in his posture. The river beside them continued to run, the sound of the water increasing Temari's unease. She longed for the sound of sand traveling with the wind more than she'd ever longed for it before.

"We've never discussed me moving to Konoha," she pointed out.

It was a simple fact but one that hit her as if someone had swiped her with her own fan. They'd been engaged for the better part of six months, but not once had they discussed where they'd live after the wedding.

"We haven't?" Shikamaru asked, his eyes widening with the realization.

Temari blinked several times before shaking her head.

"No."

Shikamaru tried to smile, but he knew she was upset. She wasn't trying to hide it. He shifted his weight and looked at a spot in the sky. He was expecting her to explode with anger, but she didn't feel like doing that. Because she had no idea if she felt angry. The idea of living in Konoha forever left a hole in her chest, but so did living in Suna. She hadn't realized she had such a conundrum until she was faced with the decision. Perhaps that was why neither of them had brought up the topic before.

"I guess I just assumed," Shikamaru said, keeping his voice emotionless as he continued to watch her like she was a shogi board he was analyzing. "You have to come to Konoha for work frequently anyway, and I don't have any business in Suna. It's the logical choice."

"And you've always been the logical one," Temari pointed out, her voice rising.

Shikamaru cringed, closing his eyes briefly as she continued.

"Of course you'd think it was easy for me to move somewhere new without any problems just because that's what is easiest for you, wouldn't you?"

"Not because it's easiest for _me_," he said, a tremor of nerves in his voice that he tried to hide. "It's easier for both of us. Comparatively. And I've always thought you liked Konoha. It's not actually 'somewhere new' for you when you've been here almost as much as you've been in Suna in recent years."

Temari ignored his attempts to poke holes in her rage. That wasn't what really mattered.

"Why didn't you ask me where I wanted to live?"

"Because I thought it was already decided," he said. "If you were against living in Konoha from the start, why didn't _you_ say something?"

"Because I wasn't aware that it was something that had already been decided. I'd have said something if you'd bothered to bring it up."

Shikamaru sighed and ran a hand over his face.

"This conversation isn't getting us anywhere. You're just going to get more angry."

"And no conversation is worth having if it involves emotion, is it, Shikamaru? It only matters if we're using _logic_."

He held her gaze for a long moment without speaking. Part of Temari wanted to back down and admit that she was trying to get a rise out of him on purpose, but her pride wouldn't allow her to do such a thing. He made no attempts to argue further as he watched her, and Temari grew increasingly embarrassed about her outburst as she stood there without either of them saying a thing.

Eventually, it was too much. Staying would only prolong her shame. Turning on her heel, she fled without offering Shikamaru an explanation. She hated how much he'd understand it anyway.

* * *

Temari ambled through the streets, relieved that the people of Konoha were as apt to leave her alone as those in her home. She felt tears sting at her eyes, but there were too many people around her to let them fall.

"Temari?"

She froze at the familiar voice, cringing as she turned to look at the newcomer. Ino wasn't alone. Sakura was at her side looking equally as worried as Ino but a bit more nervous about having said something.

"Hi," Temari said weakly.

She knew that her sad demeanor had already been noticed, and she wouldn't have been capable of perking up even if she'd wanted to. Still, she was embarrassed as the two other young women approached her. Ino's eyes narrowed with suspicion.

"What's wrong?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips as if she were preparing to scold someone. "Did Shikamaru say something stupid?"

If she were a little less upset, Temari would have laughed at Ino labeling Shikamaru the culprit so quickly, but she could only suck in a shaky breath.

"Uh, yeah," she said, swatting her hand at the air as if it would bat away the problem. "It's nothing really."

"It doesn't look like nothing," Sakura said slowly. "What did he say?"

Temari sighed.

"He thinks I'm coming to live in Konoha after we get married even though he never actually asked me what I would do. He just assumed, and I—" She cut herself off. "It's nothing," she stressed. "I shouldn't have gotten worked up about it. I always knew that we'd probably live in Konoha after the wedding. That's what's best, and I like it here. I'm not upset about it."

"It's just that he didn't bother talking to you about it," Ino concluded, anger flashing in her own eyes. "Men are idiots, and Shikamaru is one of the worst. I, for one, have no idea why you want to put up with him for the rest of your life. Let me guess: He said that you living in Konoha was logical, so of course you were making that decision?"

She scoffed. Sakura, however, wasn't interested in mocking Shikamaru. She took a step forward, a gentle smile on her lips as she spoke.

"That really sucks," she said. "I'm sorry he did that. If you want to talk—or yell—about it, you can come to us."

"Thanks," Temari said.

It was a nice gesture, but she was uncomfortable with the idea of gushing about her feelings. It sounded almost as bad as standing in the middle of the street and having two other women trying to comfort you. Her body longed to run away and hide from the situation, but she forced herself to stand her ground.

"Really, though, I'll be okay," she continued.

The more she said it, the more she realized it was true. The idea of leaving Suna behind was a sad one, but it was a decision she'd been prepared to make long before Shikamaru proposed.

"Do you need us to yell at him for you?" Ino asked, a scary gleam in her eye as she daydreamed about how it would play out.

Temari laughed, feeling light than she had before.

"No, that's okay," she said, smirking when Ino's face fell. "I'm more than capable of yelling at him myself."

And she would. She'd tell him that he'd better talk to her the next time or there'd be bigger consequences than her just running off. But, at the end of the day, they'd be where they were meant to be, even if getting there had included a bit of pain.

* * *

**Word count: 1,588**

**Hogwarts Challenges and Assignments:**

Writing Club - Disney Challenge: Female Stereotypes - Write about a woman who doesn't prescribe to the stay at home female stereotype.

WC - Trope of the Month: 3. Plot Point - Write about someone overcoming a difficulty.

WC - All Sorts of Space: Burned by extremely harsh sun/star light and heat - (trait) Hot-headed

WC - Showtime: Knowing Me, Knowing You - (word) Silence


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